Shopping

For the pedestrian, the Clocktower is likely to be the central point around which Brighton revolves - and it is from here I will generally give directions, assuming one is facing south, towards the sea. This lies around a ten-minute walk south from the station down Queen's Road, and is also close to most of the car-parks in the area, most notably the large, multi-storey NCP 200 yards straight ahead down West Street. To the right of the clocktower is the recently rebuilt Churchill Square shopping centre, a clean, gleaming affair unrecognisable from the gloomy concrete monstrosity that it replaced. The shops here, and along the length of the adjacent Western Road, are of the identikit, familiar-name type found in every high street up and down the country, but are plentiful, well laid-out and easily accessible.

To the clocktower's left lies the polar opposite of this area, The Lanes. A number of entrances to this zone can be found off North Street, the main artery running down to the Steine. The tight, winding alleys and unexpected little squares hiding between the buildings house a great variety of unique local shops, restaurants and cafes - jewellers and independent clothes shops predominate, but a multitude of premises can be found - if indeed you can find them; it's deceptively easy to disorientate yourself. The North Laines, on the other side of North Street, are wider and easier to navigate, but just as odd and varied. National chains are sadly starting to penetrate these areas, but they still retain the charm and uniqueness which makes The Lanes such a perfect antidote to the homogeny of Churchill Square.

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If you're learning English, make sure you visit The English Language Bookshop at 31 George Street, Brighton. It's one of the few specialist ELT bookshops in the UK and only sells books and materials for learners of English. Good selection of dictionaries, grammars, IELTS books etc. Very close to Brighton Pavilion - see picture opposite.